Destination Home

In the foyer of Kelly Wolf-Anthony and Justin Anthony’s home, the staircase was updated by builder Michael Ladisic to give the appearance that it is curving. The image in the background looks like a mural, but is actually a 14-by-16-foot Todd Murphy piece.

Compelling objets d’art and collections of books show off Kelly’s signature monochromatic palette.

Making an Entrance Serving as a hall table is a take on Eero Saarinen’s tulip design in a dark finish.

Justin and Kelly enlisted builder Michael Ladisic to execute their vision.

Perfectly Proportioned The shiplap-framed living room’s inviting seating group is composed of lofty Belgian-linen sofas aligned to a pair of weathered wood beams on the ceiling, while ancillary seating includes a leather sling chair and a T-shaped accent chair with nailhead details. The left wall bears bold images of a lion and a tiger from National Geographic; the “art” over the mantel is actually Samsung’s 4K Frame TV, which displays a series of art images when it senses movement; and a Todd Murphy piece is pictured at right.

“Justin and I live our lives very openly and honestly. I think our home speaks to that. We really don’t have anything in our home that isn’t something we love.”

The open-format kitchen by Design Galleria Kitchen and Bath Studio features shiplap paneling, an integrated vent hood, integrated refrigeration, open shelves and brass bands that enhance the room’s clean, horizontal lines. Oversize basket pendants preside over a marble-clad island with a waterfall edge. Appliances, Guy Gunter Home. Luxury hardware, Matthew Quinn Collection.

Connected to the kitchen by floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall bifold steel doors is the screened porch, where a collection of woven baskets decorates a wainscoted wall.

The wet bar Kelly custom-designed for this kitchen “really looks more like a console or buffet,” she says. “I had this vision, and Matthew [Quinn] made it happen.” The art is by Jeff Jones.

The dining room features a weathered trestle table, nubby Parsons-style chairs, framed black-and-white photography prints by Annie Leibovitz and Jean de Merry’s Lumiere chandelier.

On the master bed, custom washed-linen bedding reads as relaxed, yet chic. A silvery antler chandelier from Regina Andrew is an affectionate nod to the residence’s former life as a hunting lodge.

The master suite’s closet and dressing area was created with Design Galleria Kitchen and Bath Studio, and features hardware from the Matthew Quinn Collection. An antiqued mirror and crystal chandelier boost the glamour quotient, while the Thom Brown dachshund purse (a gift from Justin) is a nod to the couple’s prized pooch, Dempsey.

Sitting demurely atop a tile “rug,” MTI’s freestanding tub affords a view of the Japanese maple in the backyard through a 12-paned metal window, and creates a dreamlike escape. A Fornasetti chair featuring butterflies is the perfect perch for personal effects. The vanity hardware, not shown, was gifted by R. Hughes.

After spending more than two decades building their careers in both the design and hospitality fields, the Anthony’s—who are pioneering change in Atlanta’s evolving hospitality scene—have finally found (and fashioned) a home where they can host friends and associates. In their lush new landscape, the pool is punctuated by hydrangea and boxwood planters, while a newly added cabana, jacuzzi, fire pit, South African-style braai—like the one at Justin’s Cape Dutch restaurant—a Big Green Egg, a well-equipped outdoor kitchen from Guy Gunter Home, and seating groups set in the shade of a Japanese maple collectively serve every entertaining whim.

Kelly Wolf-anthony and Justin Anthony might just be one of the hardest-working, most hospitable couples in Atlanta. Kelly is an accomplished designer whose Atlanta-based firm, Wolf Design Group, has worked predominantly outside of Georgia, and even internationally, for the past 20 years. And as Atlanta’s prevailing traditional aesthetic begins to shift, her signature style is finally calling her closer to home, with current projects including a new home for Spanx founder Sara Blakely. 

Her husband, Justin, is a former South African soccer star and the restaurateur behind such concepts as 10 Degrees South, Yebo Beach Haus, Cape Dutch and Biltong Bar (which he’s currently expanding into Buckhead).

“We can’t get away very often because of the restaurants,” Justin explains. So when the pair sold their lake house and beach house, they began focusing on creating a destination in Atlanta. “We wanted to entertain, swim, have that fun lifestyle—without having to set out on a journey to do it,” he says.

When they bought a new house—a former 1940s hunting lodge—on the fringes of Chastain Park last year, it was with the aim of creating a welcoming destination. They spent six months with acclaimed builder Michael Ladisic, and the modern trailblazer pushed the Anthony’s to re-engineer the residence to fit their needs. 

“When it comes to your own home, you look at it differently. You look at dollars, and you look at time,” Kelly explains. “[Ladisic] is not just a contractor, he’s a visionary; he has an aesthetic. He pushed us, and we ended up with something we loved.” 

For example, a wall between the kitchen and porch was transformed with floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall, bifold steel doors. “It makes a massive difference in natural light,” Kelly says. In the foyer, Ladisic adapted the staircase in a low-tech way to give it the appearance of curving. Closing off a double door to the study allowed room for an enormous Todd Murphy piece the couple had in storage for years. “It fits to the inch. It was basically perfect,” Kelly adds.

Beyond its stunning collections of art, the home’s interiors reflect the global influences and monochromatic color palette that have become Kelly’s signature. Influences range from high fashion to African safaris; tactile but casual fabrics and a neutral palette that’s “organic, earthy and modern,” she says. For the master bath, closet and kitchen, Ladisic and Kelly enlisted Design Galleria Kitchen and Bath Studio’s Matthew Quinn to transform these spaces from drab to fabulous. 

The completion of their personal project means this highly hospitable couple can finally host their friends and associates—such as Atlanta Food & Wine Festival VIPs—indoors or out. “We have a small wine cellar, home theater, pool cabana and jacuzzi, bocce court, fire pit and grill area with both a Big Green Egg and braai, which is a South African grill,” Justin details. “It feels like a resort, somewhere between our two favorite places: Napa Valley and Old Edwards Inn.”

INTERIOR DESIGN Kelly Wolf-Anthony, Wolf Design Group, (404) 261-7778; wolfdesigngroup.com BUILDER Michael Ladisic, Ladisic Fine Homes, (404) 495-0708; ladisicfinehomes.com